Big or small which is best?

January is the time when people make their new resolutions and by the half way mark they have already stuck to them rigidly or ditched them. Finding a new job is usually a very popular resolution and this year is no different. Candidates tend to start the year with a very specific view of what kind of work they have in mind and what they want to achieve out of their next position.

The question we are often posed by candidates is whether big is better than small? (or vice versa) i.e whether to choose to work in a large company which can offer a good team structure, a strong brand / market presence , structured career progression and training opportunities and benefits which are second to none.

Smaller companies however often give more exposure to a variety of work, a close knit team (often a flatter structure with more exposure to the management team) and in the instance where there is a specialism the chance to become an expert . It is a bit of a chicken and egg situation.

We think there are benefits in both, but to really grasp the individual benefits of working in individual roles it is really important to get a feel of the actual role and where is specifically fits in to the larger team. Sadly many companies still feel an emailed job spec is enough and don’t put the time in to explain the benefits and terms around the specific role. It’s much easier to find the right person when there is more information about the role outside of just a list of duties.